20TH ANNUAL DSF SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Congratulations to the 2026 winners!
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 DSF Scholarship Awards. Our Scholarship Committee—comprised of four retired and one active Diplomatic Security employees—carefully reviewed anonymized applications to ensure a fair and impartial evaluation process. Each applicant demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and extracurricular involvement, making the selection process challenging. After thoughtful deliberation, the committee selected eleven outstanding students to receive scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 to support their post-secondary education. We commend all applicants for their impressive accomplishments and wish each of them continued success in their academic and professional pursuits.
$4,000 Scholarship Winners:
Lily Creech
Stepdaughter of Thomas Woodward, Special Agent
Lily will be attending The Ohio State University with plans to pursue a degree in Nursing
Christopher Doherty
Son of May Taylor Doherty, Diplomatic Courier
Christopher will be attending University of Notre Dame with plans to pursue a degree in Global Affairs & Economics
Anisa Frey
Daughter of Gregory Frey, Special Agent
Anisa will be attending Pennsylvania State University with plans to pursue a degree in Psychology & Neuroscience
Marin McLeod
Grand-daugher of William J. Black, Retired Division Chief (DS/MGT/CAP)
Marin will be attending University of Miami with plans to pursue a degree in Marine Biology & Data Science
Jade Penrod
Daughter of Jason Penrod, Special Agent
Jade will be attending Emory University with plans to pursue a degree in Neuroscience
$2,000 Scholarship Winners:
Atticus Gray
Son of Shawn Gray, Special Agent
Atticus will be attending Arizona State University with plans to pursue a degree in
Sasha Guerra
Daughter of Karina Yvette Orozco, Program Analyst
Sasha will be attending James Madison University with plans to pursue a degree in Biology or Marketing
Ely Macaraeg
Son of Annmarie Macaraeg, Senior Personnel Security Specialist
Ely will be attending EMBRY Riddle Aeronautical University with plans to pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering or Mechanical Engineering
Tyler Morrison
Son of Andrew Rodger Morrison, Special Agent
Tyler will be attending the University of Wisconsin with plans to pursue a degree in Applied Math
Kayden Smith
Daughter of Kristopher Smith, Special Agent
Kayden will be attending Colgate University with plans to pursue a degree in Chemistry & Biology
Adriana Timms
Daughter of Michael Timms, Special Agent
Adriana will be attending the University of Miami with plans to pursue a degree in Medical Anthropology (Pre-Med)
About the DSF Scholarship
The Diplomatic Security Foundation (DSF) awards an annual college scholarship to a high school senior planning on attending any institute of "higher" learning (at the university, community or vocational level). Depending on funds available, at least one award is made per year. DSF scholarships are available to students related to a Diplomatic Security employee who is either an active, retired, former or deceased employee, or a DS contractor, AND the employee/contractor must have/had three or more years of consecutive service with DS. The student may be a child, step-child, grandchild, step-grandchild or a ward of the DS employee/contractor. Eligibility criteria is listed in the application.
The application for 2027 will open in late January 2027.
A list of previous scholarship winners (2007-2025) can be found here: Scholarship Awards
Looking for other scholarships? Be sure to visit our Outside Scholarships page for a list of scholarship opportunities outside of DSF.